Selective Disintegration–Milling to Obtain Metal-Rich Particle Fractions from E-Waste

Various metals and semiconductors containing printed circuit boards (PCBs) are abundant in any electronic device equipped with controlling computing features. These devices inevitably constitute e-waste after the end of service life. The typical construction PCBs includes mechanically chemically resistive materials, which significantly reduce reaction rate or even avoid accessing chemical reagents (dissolvents) to target metals. Additionally, presence relatively reactive polymers compounds from requires high energy consumption supply due formation undesirable sometimes environmentally hazardous products. Preliminarily milling into powder is a promising method for increasing avoiding liquid gaseous emissions. Unfortunately, current state-of-the-art methods also lead more still adhered milled metal particles. This paper aims find novel double-step disintegration–milling approach that can provide metal-rich particle size fractions. morphology, fraction sizes, bulk density, content produced particles were measured compared. Research results show highest density (up 6.8 g·cm−3) total 95.2 wt.%) finest sieved fractions one-step PCBs. Therefore, about half tested metallic element concentrations higher specimen lower plastics than samples.